Bobcat feeling electric as first E10e comes off production line

As the first Bobcat E10e zero tail swing (ZTS) 1t electric mini-excavator came off the production line last month, the company announced that the model’s entire production run for the year has already been sold out and orders are being taken for 2020 delivery.

Built at Bobcat’s compact equipment manufacturing plant in Dobris in the Czech Republic, first unit rolled off the line at 1:08pm on July 11th with the serial number B4KL11001, said Bobcat. It is headed to the Apeldoorn, Netherlands-based authorised Bobcat dealer Inter-Techno, where it will be used as a demo machine and is available for hire from Inter-Techno’s partner company, 123Machineverhuur.

The E10e is built on the same platform and produced on the same production line as Bobcat’s successful diesel-powered E08 and E10z mini-excavators. The line currently has a total capacity of 2,000 machines a year and can produce the required mix of diesel and electric models as dictated by actual market demand.

Jarry Fiser, product line director for mini-excavator, Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said: “We are very pleased that actual demand is higher than our original expectations and production capacities. The E10e is just the start of our journey in further expanding our portfolio in alternative power sources. In essence, all the components in the power train are made to measure and we are still adjusting the processes with our suppliers so that we can increase the production volumes when needed. The 2019 production capacity is already sold out and we are accepting orders for delivery in 2020.”

Doosan Bobcat’s statement said it has chosen the Dobris factory to produce the E10e for all markets worldwide, with the first machines to be sold in the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) region, with North America and then Asian markets to follow. The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Norway are the first to be selected in Europe, in line with research that shows the highest demand is in these countries. Subsequent sales of the E10e in other countries will depend on the readiness of markets, dealers and the demand from customers.

According to Bobcat, the E10e is the world’s first 1t electric mini-excavator, combining zero emissions, low noise and a width of just 71cm, allowing it to easily pass through standard doors and in and out of lifts. This makes it ideal not only for indoor demolition and basement digging, but also many other sites where this type of machine is required such as urban/city centre developments, night-time work and contracts in quiet zones such as hospitals, cemeteries, schools and so on.

The E10e has a lithium-ion, maintenance-free battery pack with an advanced management system, designed to fit within the standard machine envelope to maintain the machine’s ZTS profile, matching all the parameters and dimensions of the standard diesel-powered E10z mini-excavator. Based on customer studies, Bobcat has optimised the battery pack to provide capacity to match typical work patterns.

The E10e can be operated for up to four hours on one charge. By using an optional external 400V supercharger, it can be recharged to 80% of its capacity in less than two hours. As a result, the E10e can operate throughout a full working day when used with normal work breaks. The battery can also be fully recharged overnight by using the on-board charger from a standard 230V grid.